The year-end New Mexico Friends of Foster Children newsletter! Highlighting our recent activities supporting foster children in our state.
2021 Annual Report
Dear Friends,
New Mexico’s foster children and youth have gone through still more challenging months due to Covid-19, as we all have. Though schools, other institutions and services have opened to more in-person services, there are still challenges facing our kids. Our donors and grantors have been generous in helping NMFFC meet its mission and specific goals of assisting foster children and youth.
You—our donors, grantors, and supporters—have not only helped foster kids be kids through enriching experiences and helped in their educational progress but also, helped:
support their self-esteem
connect them to positive role models and mentors
open their eyes and minds to possibilities, dreams, and new life pathways
shape their goals for their future—short and long-term
NMFFC has spent this past year, with your financial support, providing general awards for specific children and scholarships for youth to attend college and trade schools—the core of our programs. We have also spent much time and energy looking at both our core and new programs in new ways, as well as building the financial support necessary to make them sustainable. We have been especially gifted this year with a volunteer who has helped find and respond to grants and look at new ways to do our work! The board of directors has embraced this and is working passionately to cultivate existing programs while bringing new programs into being.
Look who got new clothes thanks to CHK!
This year’s highlights include moving toward making our Summer Fun Awards an annual program, extending our Scholarship application period so that we can award more scholarships throughout the year, partnering with Clothes Helping Kids (CHK) on a new program—Style and Fit—which allowed foster children and youth to shop for school clothes of their choosing, and a very generous charity golf tournament benefiting NMFFC hosted by R1 Realty New Mexico.
NMFFC is eagerly looking forward to the coming year as we continue to support foster children, help raise public awareness, explore grant opportunities, create outreach and networking partnerships, and discover new donors who care passionately about children in foster care. We ask that you help us continue sponsoring proven programs and initiating new programs that enhance the lives of foster children and youth!
If you know a foster child in need of something that CYFD, their tribal agency, or their foster parents cannot provide, please ask us!
Visit the applications page of our website for the application and submission information (www.nmffc.org/applications). You can always leave questions or text our program manager at (505) 480-0482 or email her at[email protected].
Any child in CYFD or tribal custody is eligible for award consideration.
Circle of Friends
Nov. ’20 through Oct. ‘21
We thank you, our donors, for believing in a happier tomorrow for New Mexico’s foster children. Your support changes young lives in both small and large ways and helps children understand that others care about them and their futures.
Individuals
Anonymous Donors Alongi, Linda Asher, Sophie Barnhart y Chavez, Sandy Bouchard, Bebeann Briggs, Pat & Chris Buck, Randi Cantrell, Kenna & Pace, Karen Carmony, Larry & Corinne Castillo, Ruben & Nancy Chaddock, Emily Clarke, Julia & G.B. Copas, Mary Ann & Hammer, Victor Cordova, Elizabeth Davenport, Carlton Daves, Pamela Davis, Linda Diane Berger
Dorland, James & Teddy
Dunn, Pat Edward, Mary Lou Efroymson, Miriam Fancher, Margarita Flynn, John Steven Flynn, Bill & Coony, Gina Flynn-O’Brien, Judy & Tim Fraker, Katherine Fulton, Virginia Garcia, Mary & Ruben Hacsi, Brian Hsi, Andrew Hubka, Ryland Hunt, Karen Hunt, Rebecca Jijana, Miranda Johnson, Nina Joseph, Charlotte & Charlesly Kauffman, Jeff
Kraft, Molly & Tim
Langner, Bernice Leung, Susan Longinaker, Kathy Makofske, Matt & Hamilton, Michael McCrary, Sydney Morrison, Shirley Morrow, Cary & Evelyn Nenno, Linda O’Brien, Christina Palmer, Sarah Quinn, Janice Roberts, Terry E Schutze, Suzanne Shaening, Mary Ann Sieber, Rachael Wagner, Melanie Williams, Melanie Zuniga, Rebecca
Organizations & Businesses
AmazonSmile Foundation American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 44, Elephant Butte BNY Mellon Trust of Baltimore BNY Mellon Trust of Delaware Clothes Helping Kids, Inc. Los Alamos National Laboratory
Network for Good R1 Realty New Mexico Stiff, Keith & Garcia, LLC Target Corp Trembly Associates United Way Zamora Business Accounting PC
Grants and Fundraisers Make a Major Difference in the Lives of Children and Youth
We are indebted to the following groups for providing above and beyond support this year in making a difference for children in foster care and youth who are or have been part of the foster care system:
HUGE THANKS go to R1 Realty New Mexico for making NMFFC one of two beneficiaries of its R1 Charity Golf Classic, held on August 19 at the Santa Ana Golf Course. The tournament took place under a beautiful blue-sky day and raised $13,300 for Friends and the children it serves.
Fifty children and youth shopped for new clothes as part of the 2021 Style and Fit program funded by Clothes Helping Kids, Inc., two private donors, and the Board of NMFFC. The families were able to shop in-person at Walmart or Target, online at Amazon, or use a reimbursement process. As one young shopper said, “Thank you for helping us kids in need. We really appreciate it.”
Program Updates
In addition to our new Style and Fit program, our other programs include General Awards, Scholarships, and Summer Fun Awards which support foster youth in having the things they need to thrive, paying for school, and in just being kids. Our General Awards vary based on the requests we receive, and this year we’ve funded many requests for assistance. One example was four young teens (two sets of sisters) who received electric scooters—the four girls lived with one foster family and the scooters motivated them to be outside exploring their neighborhood and competing with each other in scooter competitions. Other examples include paying membership and tournament fees for a young woman to participate in the Sun Country Junior Golf Tour; personalized tee-shirts for the whole family to wear at a foster child’s adoption ceremony (featuring her favorite anime characters celebrating her adoption); and, glasses for a child not eligible for Medicaid replacements. Awards were made for children and youth in both CYFD and tribal custody.
More than $7500 in scholarships were awarded to applicants from across New Mexico. Recipients are pursuing many paths: social work, ultrasound technology, general studies, psychology, and several other areas depending on where they are in their educational journey. We are continuing to consider scholarship applicants throughout the year to assist more students. Nine applicants were in the initial group of recipients, and they have a year in which to use their scholarships.
Summer Fun Awards were often used for memberships to state parks, botanic gardens, zoos, museums—memberships that could be used throughout the year. There were trips to the catwalk in the Gila and Meow Wolf in Santa Fe and passes to family fun nights at local amusement parks and going to the movies together. Applicants submitted 160 requests and 107 of those were actually used (though we would have funded all if all were used!). Over $7,000 was reimbursed through the 2021 Summer Fun Awards. Lessening of Covid-19 during the summer months also allowed everyone to venture out and celebrate the summer.
How You Can Help
Your donations are what makes everything possible. We ask for your help to raise money for our core programs (Scholarships and General Awards) as well as starting and making permanent new programs like Summer Fun and Style and Fit. Please consider donating to the future of our state’s foster children.
The easiest way to donate is electronically via our website byclicking here. You may also donate by mailing a check to NMFFC at: P.O. Box 25365, Albuquerque, NM 87125-0365
NMFFC is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your donation is tax deductible. EIN 27-0363331
Meet Our Team
Board of Directors Patricia Briggs, President Elizabeth Cordova, Vice-President & Treasurer Sophie Asher, Secretary Judy Flynn-O’Brien, Director Mary L. Garcia, Director Matthew Makofske, Director
Program Manager Mary Ann Copas
Lead Volunteers Bebeann Bouchard Corinne Carmony Barbara Cotton Pat Dunn Joshua Garcia Andrea Kemp Susan Leung David Montoya Sarah Palmer
New Mexico Friends of Foster Children, P.O. Box 25365, Albuquerque, NM 87125-0365, United States, 505-480-0482
